Pressing iron or implement



June 24, 1930. F. J. CLARK PRESSING IRON OR IMPLEMENT Filed March 17,

522 gz/w NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK 3. CLARK, 0F BUFFALO, NI'lW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 STEAM PRESSING IRON COMPANY, OF CHICAGU, ILLINOIS PRESSING IBQN 0R IMPLEMENT Application filed March 17, was. Serial No. 95,262.

This invention relates to pressing irons or implements of that kind which are provided with means for the discharge of steam or fluid for the purpose of moistening the goods being pressed and with a valve or device which is adapted to be actuated for controlling the delivery of the fluid to the goods as may be necessary, depending upon the character of the work being performed.

Irons of this type have been provided with actuating mechanisms of various constructions for opening and closing the valve to discharge and shutoff the moistening fluid, but these mechanisms, as heretofore constructed have not proven entirely satisfactory. For example, in some irons a screw actuated valve was employed provided with a lever or handle for turning the valve to open and close it but so great a movement of the handle was necessary to properly open and close the valve that the handle .could not be conveniently operated by the hand grasping the handle of the iron, and it has been necessary for the workman to use his other hand to operate the valve. This is objectionable for the reason that it is usually necessary for the workman to hold or manipulate the goods being pressed with one hand while operating the iron with the other hand, and the best results cannot be obtained if it is necessary to remove the hand from the work fer actuating the valve. Valves adapted to open and close by a sliding movement and actuated by a lever or handle for controlling the discharge of moistening fluid have also been provided, but in these devices the operating handle or a lever has been arranged so that it could not be readily operated by a natural, easy movement of the thumb or fingers of thehand grasping the handle of the iron, and since no means was provided for holding the valve open, it has been necessary to hold the. valve open with the hand in such tion as to render the manipulation o the iron awkward or inconvenient. V

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a valve actuating mechanism for irons of the sort mentioned, of practical and desirable construction, such that the valve can be operated to control the discharge of the moistening fluid, as required, by easy, natural motions of one of the digits of the hand by which the iron is grasped and manipulated. Other objects of the invention are to provide the valve actuating mechanism with a finger piece arranged so as to adapt it to be readily engaged and moved by the thumb or finger of the hand grasping the handle and having a catch thatmay be set to retain the valve open so that the valve can be kept open for any desired length of time without requiring it to be held by hand; also to provide a valve actuatingmechanism of the character mentioned, in which the'valve is closed and held justable relatively to the valve whereby the valve can be placed in .difierent locations or positions as may be necessary or desirable on different irons and nevertheless the valve actuating member can be positioned so as to be conveniently actuated by the thumb or finger of the hand grasping the handle; and also to improve valve actuating mechanisms for irons in theiother respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.-

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a pressing iron or implement embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevation, partly in lon itudinal section, on an enlarged scale, 0 the iron.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, transverse, sec-' tional elevation thereof on line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the valve and valve actuating mechanism.

Fig- 6 is a perspective view of the ad ust-. able fulcrum piece or support for the valve actuating lever. i

Fig. 7 is a plan view, partly in section, of

' element 11, either for the purpose of a slightly modified construction of the valve actuating mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88, Fig. 7.

The pressing iron or implement, with the exception of the valve mechanism for controlling the discharge of the moistening fluid, may be of any usual or suitable construction. The iron 10 shown is an electric iron of well known type provided with an electrical element 11 for heating the iron, which is formed with a passage or chamber 12 to which steam or water is supplied through a supply pipe or connection 13. The passage or chamber 12 is arranged so that fluid therein will be heated by the heating enerating steam in case water is supplie to the iron, or for superheating the steam in case steam is supplied, so that steam of the required temperature for moistening the goods, depending upon the character of the work, is obtained. The iron is also provided with a steam or fluid discharge passage or chamber 14 which communicates with discharge orifices 14, usually in the bottom face of the iron, for dischargin the moistenin steam or fluid to the goods being presse The delivery of the steam from the heatin passage 12 to the discharge passage 14 and its discharge to the goods is controlled by a valve 15. In the construction shown, this valve has a casing 16 which is mounted on top of the iron 10 at the right hand side of the handle 17 of the iron, and is provided with a valve chamber 18 that communicates by ducts or passages 19 and 20 respectively with the heating passage 12 and the discharge passage 14, so that when the valve is seated as shown in Fig. 5, communication between the heating and discharge passages is cut oil", and the discharge of the steam prevented, while if the valve is opened or unseated, the steam can pass from the heating passage to the discharge passage and escape through the discharge orifices of the iron to the goods. The valve casing 16 shown is formed by a separate block or piece secured by screws 21 on top of the body of the iron 10. The valve is preferably a cone valve rovided with a stem 22 extending througli and adapted to slide endwise in a suitable guide or stufiing box 23 in the valve casing for seating and unseating the valve. \Vhile a practical and desirable construction has been described, it will be understood that insofar as the invention is concerned, the device as thus far described could be of other construction. Furthermore, the iron could be heated by a gas burner or other suitable means, and if desired, the valve could be employed for controlling the discharge of steam of suitable temperature andpressure su plied directly to the valve from a suitab e distant source and not generated or superheated in the iron itself.

24 indicates a valve operating lever or member, which as shown, passes through a slot 25 in the valve stem 22 and is suitably pivoted or fulcrumed in a slot 26 in a bracket or su port 27 so that the valve is opened and close by moving the lever outwardly and inwardly. The bracket or fulcrum support is adj ustably secured to the valve case so that the bracket can be adjusted rotatably about the axis of the valve. As shown, the bracket is formed with a base ring 28 which loosely surrounds the rojecting end of the stufiing box 23, and is c amped against the end of the valve casin by a flange 29 formed on the outer end 0 the stuffing box. This construction permits the bracket or fulcrum support 27 to be rotatably adjusted about the axis of the valve stem and secured in different positions angularly with reference to the valve casing, as may be necessary to place the outer end of the valve actuating lever 24 in the required location with reference to the bandle 17 of the iron, depending upon the particular shape of the iron and the location of the valve on the iron.

31 indicates a valve-closing spring, which as shown is a coil spring surrounding the outer end of the valve stem between a collar onthe stem and a screw plug 32 which is screwed into a threaded hole in the outer end of the fulcrum bracket or support 27. This spring acts to seat the valve and hold it closed, and the tension of the spring can be regulated as required for this purpose by ap ropriate adjustment of the screw plug 32.

he valve actuating lever or member 24 is made of such form or shape that the outer or free end of the lever extends adjacent to the front leg or support 33 for the handle. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the front end of the lever extends transversely in front of the handle leg, whereas in the F i 7 construction the lever extends folrward y at the ri ht hand side of the leg. At the outer en of the lever 24 is a finger iece located adjacent to the front en 0 the handle and preferably at the left side thereof, in such ition that it can be readily engaged an moved by the thumb of the hand grasping the handle of the iron for moving the connected lever and valve and a securing device controlled by the finger piece is provided for holding the valve reeasably in open position or in opposition to the sprin 31. In the constructions shown in the drawings, this securing device or catch and the finger piece are combined in a member 34 which is ivoted at 35 on the lever 24 and is provide with a knob or part suitable for the engagement of the thumb. The member 34 15 thus a controlling member for the valve, in that it is a art of the means by which the valve may be operated between closed and open s1- tions and also held in one or more 0 its will be noted that the member 34 moves in one direction or path during valve movements and is also independently movable in another and different path or direction in order that it may cooperate with a suitable part of the iron in securing the lever 24 and the valve releasably in positions into which they may be moved. The knob or part 36 is preferably made of Wood or other material of poor conductivity. In the first construction shown, the outer end of the lever 24 is provided with a shoulder or projection 37 adapted to be engaged by one edge of the pivoted end of the finger piece so that an outward and forward movement-of the finger piece will move the lever to open the valve. The finger piece is also provided with a catch projection or portion 38 which,

by moving the finger piece forwardly and invvardly is adapted to be engaged with the leg 33 of the handle and thereby hold the lever 24 in its forward position. Thus, by pressing the finger piece forwardly, the lever will be moved to open the valve, and then by swinging the finger piece inwardly to engage its projection with the handle leg 33, the valve will be held open against the pressure of the spring 31, tending to close the valve. gaged with the leg, the operator can remove his thumb or finger from the finger piece and the valve will be retained open by the catch until the catch is released by a movement of the finger piece which is readily accomplished simply by pressing the finger piece forwardly and outwardly, when the valve will again be closed by its spring 31. Preferably, the handle leg 33 is providedwith a notch 39 providing a shoulder or abutment back of which said catch projection 38 of the finger piece may be engaged to prevent accidental disengagement of the catch from the leg.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7, the front end of the valve lever 24 extends forwardly at the right side of the handle leg 33, and the finger piece or catch 34*, which is pivoted to the lever, extends transversely in front of the leg, being slidably supported and guided by a suitable bracket or guide 40 secured on the leg In this construction, by moving the free end of the finger piece rearwardly and inwardly, the valve will be opened and the catch 34 engaged with the notch in the leg 33 to hold the valve open, and the catch is released to permit the valve to close by a reverse movement of the finger piece.

In both of the constructions described, the finger piece can be actuated to open and secure and release or close the valve by a natural, easy movement, and pressure of the thumb while the hand is in the natural, comfortable position on the handle of the After the catch has been en-- iron, and the catch .serves -to hold the valve open indefinitely when desired, so that it is not necessary to hold the valve open by I hand.

The finger piece 34 may be latched in the groove 39 to secure the lever 24: against return movement, thus holding the valve in open position. The nose 38 of the finger piece 34 and the member 33 thus constitute a latch by which the valve may be secured in an open position and easily released when return movement of the valve to closed position is desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pressing iron provided with a handle and means for the discharge of fluid for moistening the work, the combination of a valve provided with a movable member for controlling the discharge of the moistening fluid, an actuating lever for opening said movable valve member, a spring for closing said valve, a finger piece movably mounted on said lever and located so as to be readily engaged and moved by a digit of the hand grasping the handle, a part on said iron adapted to be engaged by said finger piece for releasably holding said valve member open against the action of said spring, said finger piece being adapted to be moved to actuate said lever to open said valve member and to engage said part for holding the valve member open, and to release the valve member to permit it to be closed by its spring.

2. In a pressin iron provided with a handle' and means or the discharge of fluid for moistening the work, the combination of a slide valve for controlling the discharge of the fiuid, and valve actuating mechanism comprising a spring for closing said valve, a valve actuating lever, a support on which said lever is fulcrumed and which is adjustable rotatably about the axis of move ment of said valve, and afinger piece connected to said lever and located in position to be readily engaged and moved b a digit of the hand grasping said handle or opening and closing the valve.

3. In a pressing iron provided with a handle and means for the discharge of fluid, the combination of a valve for controlling the discharge of the fluid, a lever connected to said valve for moving the valve endwise, a support on which said lever is fulcrumed and which is adjustable rotatably about the axis of movement of said valve, and a finger piece movably connected to said lever and located so as to be readily engaged and moved by a digit of the hand grasping said handle, and means for limiting the movement of said finger piece relatively to the lever whereby the lever is adapted to be moved by said finger piece for opening the valve.

4. In a pressing iron provided with a handle, the combination of a fluid-controlling valve provided with a valve stem, and means for operating said valve stem including a controlling member extending into a position for operation by a digit of ones hand while that hand is grasping said handle, said means and iron having cooperating latching pgrts for securing said valve stem and memr releasably in one position into which they may be moved a ainst return movement, without continue application of force by said digit to said member.

5. In a pressin iron or the like provided with a handle, a uid controlling valve movable between open and closed positions and yieldingly biased into one of said positions, a lever connected to said valve to operate it against its bias, a controlling element having an articulated connection to said lever for operating the same and extending into sition for operation by a digit of ones and while that hand is grasping said handle, said iron and controlling element having cooperating latching portions by which said element and through it said valve may be secured releasably in a position into which it been moved against the action of said 6. In a pressin iron or the like provided with a handle, a uid controlling valve having an operating stem and a casing through which said stem passes, said casing having a projecting section with a circular periphery, an operating lever connected to said stem and having a free end in proximity to said handle, a ring adjustable on said circular periphery about said stem and having a fulcrum and guide for said lever, whereby said lever may be shifted angularly about the axis of said stem by angular adjustment of said ring on said periphery, to place said free end in a position most convenient for operation by a digit of a hand which may be grasping said handle.

FREDERICK J. CLARK. 

